Bridle-bit



(No Model.)

J. N. BROOKS.

BRIDLE BIT.

N0. 243mm;

Patented July 5 188-11 luv guk or, @5111: .11: Brooks UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN N. BROOKS, OF NORTH JAVA, NEW YORK.

BRlDLE-BIT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 243,684, dated July 5, 1881.

Application filed'February 11 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN N. BROOKS, a citizen of the United States, residing in North Java, in the county of Wyoming and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bridle-Bits, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce a device that can be used either as a hard or mild bit and it consists of a reversible bit and guard, having on one 'side of the bit a smooth surface, forming a mild or easy bit,and on the opposite side a surface of peculiar shape,

forming a hard hit, the guards or side pieces being also adapted to be reversed, so that the several straps may be used in their proper places when either the hard or soft bitis used, as will be more clearly hereinafter shown by reference to the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a face view of the hard bit and an edge view of the guards. Fig. 2 is asimilar view, showing the mild or soft bit. Fig. 3 represents amodification showinga jointed bit. Fig. 4 isasection through line X X, Fig. 1; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of aportion ofa bit and guard in section, showing the manner of connecting or fastening the bit to the guards.

A represents the bit; a a, two longitudinal grooves arranged on one side of the same. (See Fig. 1.) They are angular in cross-section, so as to present'two sharp edges, 1) b, as in Fig. 4.

One of the grooves, a,is arranged above a cen- 1.

tral line, 2 z, and the other, to, below it. This sideis what may be called a hard bit. It will be noticed that the grooves are arranged so that while the part 1', having the edge b, forming a part of the groove a, projects forwardin the direction of the arrow, (see Fig. 4,) the same part of the groove a projects in the opposite direction. The opposite side, 0, (see Fig. 2,) of the bit is smooth, so as to form a mild or easy hit. B represents a hole by which the usual chain and ball for preventing the horse from putting out his tongue may be attached, ifdesired.

The bit is rigidly fastened to the guards O O by means of two prongs or projections, (1, (shown by dotted lines in Fig. 5,) arranged on each end of the bit, and passed through holes or hitching strap, according to the position of the guards, the lower ones always being used for the hitching-strap and the upper ones for the check-reinsi.e., when the hard hit is used F F would be the upper holes, and the check- ,reins would then be in one of the said holes and the tie-strap in G or G; but it the bit is reversed, so as to bring the easy bit into use, the holes G G would betheupper ones, in which case the check-reins would be removed from the holes F or F to the-holes G or G, which would then be upper holes, and the tiestrap would be removed from G or G to F or F. The straps in the other holes are also likewise changed when the bit is reversed.

If desired, the bit may be made in two parts and connected together'in the centerby ajoint, J J, (see Fig. 3,) in the usual manner, so as to form a jointed bit. By this arrangement the advantages of a hard bitand an easy bit are combined in one. The arrangement of the holes in the guards for the different straps adapts it to be easily reversed, so'that either bit may be used.

I claim as my invention- 1. Abridle-bit, A, one'side of which is smooth and the other provided with the sharp angles 12 b, in combination with the guards O 0, adapted to be reversed, so as to be used either as a hard or mild bit, as described.

2. A bridle-bit consisting of the reversible guards O 0, provided with the openings D D, F F, E E, and'G G, and a reversible bit, A, having a smooth face, 0, on one side, and a face having the sharp angles 1) b on the .opposite side, for the purposes specified.

JOHN N. BROOKS. 

